Shoe form



Jan. 5, 1932. w. J. DE Wl-TT SHOE FORM Filed April 4, 1930 WILLIAM J. DE WITT, AUBURN NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T SHOE FORM Patented Jan. 5, 1932 airs [mm ATENT a:

00., INQ, OF

AUBURN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YQRK SHOE FORM Application filed April 4, 1930. Serial'No. 441,521. 2

This invention relates to improvement in a shoe form, more partlcularly 1n an improvement in a shell whlch 1s used in connectlon with fitting a customers foot.

The present practice of fitting shoes directly to the foot is open to the objection that it is not easy for either the customer or the salesman to determine whether or not the shoe tried on is the proper shoe for the foot. This is due largely to the fact that the shoe, especially at the toe, is stiff and that its fit can only be determined by consideration of the feel of the shoe against the foot. In the fitting of shoes to a child this is particularly objectionable because experience has shown that the child will not or can not tell accurately whether the foot is properly fitted and as a result may be furnished With a shoe made on a last not suited to the foot and the foot may become misshapen due to the wearing of such a shoe.

The preliminary use of a transparent shell obviates this difiiculty, because it provides a visual inspection of the fit of the last so that after trying on several different shells the last proper for the foot in every respect can be determined. These shells are provided with symbols or indicia so that when the shell which properly fits the foot has been selected a shoe corresponding to the last andsize of the shell can be supplied with the assurance that it is the shoe which should be Worn.

The object of the invention is to provide a shell which will assist the fitter in determining if the last on which the shell is made is the one suited for the foot, particularly with reference to the length. In order to carry out this result, the shell is provided with means which indicate the position which the foot should occupy when the foot is properly fitted. A further object of the invention is to provide a shell in which the entire edge of the foot-receiving opening has been rolled over to avoid any injury either tothe foot or to the hose in which the foot is encased. Another object of the invention is to provide a shell in which the ends of the shell wall are i joined at the side of the shell, preferably the inner side, rather than at the back. By 01ning the ends of the upper portion at the back,

quently is difficult to slip the shell on and oif and also to determine whether or not the heel of the foot has been properly fitted. Other objects will appear from a consideration of the following specification and of the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shell embodying this invention provided at the toe portion with one means of determining'the position which the end of the toes should take in order to insure a proper fitting of the foot; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, indicating another way of determin-v ing this position; a

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 83 of Fig. 2 illustrating the construction of the'shell; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views of the toe ner, preferably by the use of acetone or other adhesive. The side Wall 11 is made of celluloid or other transparent flexible material and may be shaped on a last in any suitable manner, as for example that disclosed inmy PatentNo.1,585,284,dated May 18, 1926. The ends of the wall 11 are preferably overlapped and joined at the inner side of the shell as indicated by the numeral 14.

The edge of the side wall 11 defining the foot-receiving opening preferably is rolled over as indicated at 16. This roll may extend completely around the foot opening as indicated in the drawings or it may be at the sides of the opening only as shown in my copending application Serial No. 3655,69 1, filed May ed October 7, 1930. The insole 12 may be of "24, 1929,'now Patent Number 1,7 7 7 ,747, granti the same material as the upper portion or it 'may be of other material. The transparent equality of the celluloid is not so essential on the insole and, if desired, the insole may be of other flexible non-transparent material. Each shell is provided with a symbol or indicia 17 indicating the size of the last from which it was made and also, if desired, the type of last. The symbol is indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing as applied to the interior of the insole of the shoe, but it is obvious that the symbol may be appliedto the upper portion or to the exterior of the insole if desired.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 the position of the foot is determined by a line 20 which may be painted or stamped upon the toe portion 19 of the shell wall. In the Fig. 2 embodiment the toe portion of the shell wall is shown provided with an indented line 21 for the same purpose. In Figs. 4 and 5 a flange 22 is provided which extends upward ly from the insole and against which the. toe of the customer will contact. The flange 22 may be, as in Fig. 4, an integral part of the insole which is turned up to from a stop or, as in Fig. 5, a portion of an angle strip 25 which is secured to the insole.

\Vhen a. shell embodying any one of these forms is slipped upon the foot the position of the toe can be determined by a visual inspection or in addition in the case of the Figs. 2, 4

and 5 embodiments by the physical contact of the toe with the flange. It will be understood that when the foot is properly fitted the toe should be at the line 20 if the first embodiment is incorporated in the shell or should rest lightly against the stops 21 or 22 if the shell is made according to the Figs. 2, 4L and 5 embodiments. If the shell has the stops 21 or 22 it is not essential that the wall 11 be of transparent material.

While several embodiments of this invention are indicated in the drawings, it will be understood that other embodiments of this feature might be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which, as pointed out in the following claims, resides in the provision in the shell of means which will assist the fitter in determining quickly and accurately whether or not the shoe corresponding to the shell applied to the foot is of the size and last to fit the foot properly.

I claim:

1. A shell simulating a shoe and adapted to he slipped onto a foot, said shell being of a definite size corresponding to that of a shoe and including a side wall of transparent material, the toe portion of the shell including means which defines the position to be taken by the toes when the shell is slipped onto a foot of the proper size, the relation of the toes thereto being determined by visual inspection through the transparent side wall of the shell.

2. A shell simulating a shoe and adapted to be slipped onto a foot, said shell being of a definite size corresponding to that of a shoe, and comprising a side wall and an insole carried thereby, the side wall being transparent and provided at the toe portion with means by which to determine the position to be taken by the toes when the shell is slipped onto a foot of the proper size.

Signed by me at Auburn, N. Y., this 2nd day of April, 1930.

WILLIAM J. DE WITT. 

